Pencil-clutch.



A. lv ARTHUR.

PENCIL CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1916.

Patented July 3, 1917.

PATENT en ree.

ALEXANDER J. ARTHUR, 013 FORT DODGE, 11011711..

PENCIL-CLUTCH.

Application filed June 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALEXANDER J. ARTHUR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Fort Dodge, in the county of'l/Vebster and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Pencil-Clutch, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a pencil clutch of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a pencil clutch so constructed and arranged as to afford a comparatively long bearing for the lead for preventing sidewise movement thereof during the use of the pencil.

Still a further object is to provide such a clutch device comprising a clutch member preferably made of a single piece of resilient metal, and including a broken ring adapted to fit into the pencil barrel, and clutch mem bers thereon, said ring having at one end lat eral projections for limiting the movement of the clutch member into the pencil barrel in one direction.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the devlce, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as set forth in the description, distinctly set forth in my claims, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a pencil having a clutch embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 show a vertical, central, sectional view through the lower portion of the pencil, illustrating the construction and arrangement of the clutch parts.

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the clutch member.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical, central, sectional View through the clutch member, and

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the blank from which the clutch member is made.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a pencil. barrel comprising a hollow cylinder having at the upper end a cap 11 of any suitable construction. The lower end of the barrel 10 is preferably somewhat contracted and provided with screw threads at 12.

At the lower end of the barrel 10 is a clutch operating member comprising an upper cylindrical portion 13, internally screw threaded, and a downwardly extended por- Specification of Letters Patent.

' the lower end of Patented Ju ly 3, 1%1'2. Serial No. 103,153.

tion 14: having the shape of an inverted cone. It will be understood that the clutch operating device just described is hollow.

The clutch member of my improved device comprises a resilient broken band 15 having on opposite sides downwardly extending arms 16, which at points below the band 15 are inclined inwardly and ward each other and thence downwardly at 17. The portions 17 are channel shaped to receive between them the lead 18.

Tn the practical assembling and use of my improved clutch the broken band 15 is contracted by the lingers or otherwise, and inserted into the lower contracted screwthreaded portion 12 of the barrel 10.

It will be noted that one of the important features of my improved clutch member arises from the construction of the ring 15 which has at its lower edge the laterally extending portions 19. The laterally extend ing portions 19 are preferably made by cut ting short slits 20 in the lower edge of the broken ring 15, adjacent to the arms 16, as

shown in Fig. 3, and then bending out the lower portion of the ring or band 15. When the ring or band 15 is inserted into the lower portion of the barrel, the portions 19 engage the lower edge of the barrel and limit the movement of theclutch upwardly into the pencil barrel. The members 19 do not ex tend laterally such a distance as to interfere with securing the clutch operating member on to the pencil barrel, but they prevent the clutch member from sliding upwardly into the pencil barrel farther than it should properly go.

The resilient expansion ofthe ring or band 15 holds said member by friction in the pencil barrel. There is never any great tendency to force the clutch member downwardly, but there is sometimes a tendency for the clutch operating member to force the clutch member upwardly into the barrel, and this is counteracted by the portions 19.

The lead 18 is inserted between the members 17 of the clutch device, with the point 21 extending downwardly beyond the clutch, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the clutch operating member is then screwed on to the pencil barrel. It will be seen that as the clutch operating member is screwed upwardly on the pencil barrel, its contracted lower portion 14 engages the clutch members 17 and causes them to firmly grip the downwardly tolead 21. Owing to the arrangement of themembers 17 in parallel relation with .each pthgr, a long bearing is afiorded for the One of the objections to using pencil clutch devices arises from the fact that they grip the lead only at one pointfso that when the lead is used for writing the upper portion thereof tends to swing on account of the pressure on the'lower portion, and the lead jiggles and therefore inconveniences the writer. With the long bearing afforded by the members 17, the lead is held firmly in osition at all times, and does not tend to reak so easily as otherwise would be the case.

It will be noted that the lower end of the pencil barrel is contracted so that when the portion 13 of the clutch operating member is screwed on to the pencil barrel there is no enlargement at the lower end of the pencil barrel to inconvenience the fingers of the writer in using the pencil.

It is my intention to cover by this application any such use of equivalents or modified forms of structure as may be reasonably included within the scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hollow pencil barrel having at its lower end a contracted portion, with a clutch member comprising a resilient broken band received and frictionally held in the lower contracted end of the pencil barrel, said band having at its lower edge a laterally projecting portion to engage the lower edge of the pencil barrel and to limit the movement of the band into the pencil barrel, opposite downwardly extending parallel arms on said band, having at their lower ends inwardly inclined portions, in-

engaging the wardly opening channel shaped substantially parallel members at the lower end of said last described portions, adapted to receive a lead between them, a clutch operating member comprising a cylindrical portion mounted on the contracted lower end of the its lower end a plurality of notches, portions of said band adjacent to said notches being bent outwardly, the upper portion of said band being received and frictionally gripped in thelower end of the pencil barrel, with said laterally extending portions lower edge ofsaid barrel, oposite downwardly extending arms on said and, having inclined portions, downwardly inclined opposite parallel inwardly opening channel shaped portions on the lower edge of said last described portions, adapted to receive between them a lead and therefor, a clutch operating member comprising a portion mounted on the lower end of said barrel and capable of longitudinal movement with relation thereto, and a downwardly extending tapered portion adapted to engage the lower ends of the clutch memlloer and force them together for gripping a ead.

Des Moines, Iowa, June 7, 1916.

.ALEXANDERJ. ARTHUR.

to afford a long bearingat their lower-ends inwardly I 

